The death toll has risen to 24 after a bus from Gorakhpur carrying Indian tourists fell into the Marsyangdi river near Muglin in Tinhun district on the Pokhara-Kathmandu road in Nepal on Friday morning. There were 44 people on board the bus. Maharajganj DM Anunay Jha said that 10 people have been admitted to the hospital. Rescue operations are underway and 9 people are still missing. Bus driver Mustafa and conductor Ramji were also from Gorakhpur, who are still missing.
This bus (UP 53 FD 7623) belonged to Kesharwani Transport of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. While going from Pokhara to Kathmandu, the bus overturned from the highway at Aina Pahara in Tanahun district and fell 150 meters down into a fast flowing river. The bus was blown to pieces in the accident. There were 43 people on board the bus, including the driver and co-driver.
According to Vishnu Kesharwani, operator of the travel agency, the passengers in the bus were part of a group of 104 pilgrims from Maharashtra, who had reached Nepal two days ago in three buses for a 10-day trip. All the pilgrims had come to Prayagraj from Jalgaon district. They boarded the bus from there. They entered Nepal from Sonauli via Gorakhpur via Chitrakoot and Ayodhya. After roaming in Pokhara for two days, all three buses left for the capital Kathmandu on Friday morning.
Bus accident: Yogi government sent SDM to Nepal, ADM given responsibility of coordination
Tanahun SP Virendra Shahi said that the incident took place near Ain Pahara in Ward No. 2 of Ambukhareni Rural Municipality. After the incident, army and police personnel started rescue operations. Officials from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu also reached the spot.
The Indian Embassy said in a post on X that an Indian tourist bus travelling from Pokhara to Kathmandu carrying about 43 Indians fell into the Marsyangdi river today. The embassy is coordinating with local authorities engaged in relief and rescue operations. According to APF Deputy Superintendent of Police Shailendra Thapa, the Nepal Army engaged in rescue operations has taken 12 injured to a hospital in Kathmandu.
UP government sent a team of officers to Nepal
Taking cognizance of the accident in Nepal, the Uttar Pradesh government has sent a team of officers led by the SDM of Maharajganj to Nepal for relief and has assigned the responsibility of coordination to an Additional District Magistrate (ADM). Relief Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh GS Naveen Kumar gave this information in a statement issued here. The statement said that the Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating the search and rescue operations with the local authorities.
Six-member Indian team leaves
Sonauli. The team of Maharajganj district has left for the site of the Indian bus accident in Nepal. The team includes 6 people including Nautanwa SDM Nand Kishore Maurya, Tehsildar Pankaj Shahi, CO Jaiprakash Tripathi, Kotwal Ankit Singh. ADM Dr. Pankaj Kumar Verma said that the team has left to reach the spot. The district administration will provide all help in the relief and rescue work.
According to Maharajganj DM Anunay Jha, information was received that a bus full of Indian passengers has fallen into a river in Nepal. 42 passengers in the bus are from Maharashtra. The bus driver and conductor are from UP. After the information, the central government, state government and the embassy in Nepal were contacted. SDM and CO Nautanwa, SHO Sonauli have reached the spot. Ambulances have been kept ready at the border. Passenger buses are also ready. As soon as information is received from the embassy, ​​further action will be taken.